Sling carrier



United States Patent 3,252,729 SLING CARRIER Ralph A. Holmes, 11505 NE. Glisan St, Portland, Oreg. Filed Nov. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 320,301 4 Claims. (Cl. 294-81) This invention relates to a sling carrier.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a sling carrier having a novel construction whereby to receive and frictionally grip a strap-type sling for the movement of loads by said sling.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a sling carrier for a strap-type sling having means for conveniently inserting and removing end portions of said sling thereinto and having means frictionally clamping the sling therein, facilitating rapid connection and disconnection of the sling to the carrier.

Another object is to provide a device of the type described having novel frictional clamp means for engaging the strap-type sling and holding it in the carrier, and furthermore to provide a novel release mechanism for the clamping means.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a carrier which is compact in construction and utilizes a minimum of moving parts.

Briefly stated, the sling carrier of the present invention comprises a box-like body portion on which is pivotally supported a pair of lever arms. The outer ends of these arms are adapted for connection to cable means from a hoisting mechanism such as a crane, and the inner ends of these arms pivotally support sling-engaging shoes. The lever arms are movable on their pivot with relation to the body portion to frictionally grip a sling between the shoes and a floor of said body portion. Movable operation of the lever arms in gripping and release positions thereof is controlled by manually-operated cams.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects will become apparent from the following specification and claims, considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein the numerals of reference indicate like parts and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view in reduced scale of the present sling carrier, the carrier being shown in operative relation wherein a sling carrying a load is supported thereby;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, top plan view of the carrier taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the offset line 55 of FIGURE 2.

The present invention is intended for use in combination with a fiat strap for forming a sling. This type of strap is available on the market, and is extremely useful in handling loads since, as distinguished from rope or cable, it does not cut into and damage the load. This damage free support has important usage particularly in the handling of stacks of lumber.

The carrier of the present invention comprises a main body or base portion 12. This body portion has a pair of side plates 14 interconnected integrally by a pair of opposed cross members 16 which, as best shown in FIG- URES 3 and 4, have a substantially horizontal floor portion 18. The outer ends of floor portions 18 terminate in a circular guide edge 20. The inner ends of cross members 16 have upwardly angled portions 22 leading from floor portions 18. The angled intersections between body portions 18 and 22 are designated by the numeral 23 and is shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

3,252,729 Patented May 24, 1866 Pivotally supported between the side plates 14 on pins 24 mounted in said side plates adjacent the ends thereof is a pair of lever arms 26. Each of these arms assumes a channel-like structure, having a bottom wall 28 and integral side walls 30. These arms have upper, integral, reinforcing, cross plates 32. The outer ends of these lever arms project beyond the ends of the body portion 12 and such projecting portions have vertical lugs 34 integrated, as by welding, to the bottom plate 28 and the upper cross plate 32. The lugs 34 have clevises 36 pivotally connected thereto to which are connected support cables, 38 adapted for engagement with a hoist line 40.

The lever arms 26 have inner extensions 42 on their side walls 30 which project beyond the inner terminal ends of bottom walls 28. Pivotally mounted on cross pins 44 extending between the extensions 42 are shoe holding arms 46 integrally supporting bottom plates or shoes 48. These bottom plates are adapted for association with the respective floor portions 18 of the cross members 16 for accomplishing a clamping frictional grip on the sling 10 as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

The outer edges 50 of the plates 48 are arcuate in order that the end of the sling may be moved thereby Without obstruction. The inner edges 52 of plates 48 are beveled selectively to assume substantially the contour of the intersecting angles 23 between the portions 18 and 22 of the cross members 16. Furthermore, as best seen in FIGURE 3, the parts are arranged such that in a clamping function of the shoe members 46 against the floor portions 18, the beveled edges 52 are vertically aligned with the intersections 23.

With particular reference to FIGURES 2, 4 and 5, one of the wall extensions 42 of each of the lever arms 26 is further extended at 56 adjacent the upper end of the said extensions. Such extensions 56 have cam follower edges 58 on their underneath side adapted for cooperation with cams 60 integrally mounted on stub shafts 62 journaled on one of the side plates 14 of the body 12. Also integrated with the stub shafts 62 are operating handles 64 projecting upwardly above the top edge of the body.

The operating handles 64 have two positions, such positions being illustrated in full and broken lines in FIG- URE 4. The earns 60 and their follower edges 58 are arranged such that upon rotating the handles outwardly toward their respective ends of the body 12 to a selected position as illustrated by the full line position of FIG- URE 4, the inner ends of lever arms 26 are pivoted upwardly whereby to lift the shoe members 46 upwardly from the floor portions 18 of the body. Upon rotation of the handles 64 in the opposite direction, such as to the broken line position of FIGURE 4, the cams 60 are moved out of engagement with its follower edges 58 to permit the inner ends of lever arms 26 to pivot downwardly whereby to move the shoe members 46 downwardly toward floor portions 18.

In operation of the present device the carrier of the present invention is supported on support cables 38 connected to a hoist line 48. The hanging weight of the device tends to pivot the inner ends of the lever arms downwardly toward the floor portions 18.

A load L is assembled or positioned with the slingstraps 10 thereunder and the ends projecting from beneath the load. The carrier is manipulated by the hoist line 40 to a position in vertical alignment with the sling 10 whereupon the operator pivots the operating handles 64 outwardly to move the cams 60 into full engagement with the cam follower edges 58. This cammed movement pivots the lever arms such that their inner ends and consequently the shoe plates 48 move away from the floor portions 18. Thereupon the ends of the sling strap are inserted inwardly into the ends of the body portion between the lever arms 26 and the floor portions 18 and up the angled portion 22 if necessary. It is desirable that the sling straps be sufficiently elongated that the ends thereof extend beyond the intersections 23 between the floor portions 18 and angled portions 22.

Thereupon, the operator rotates the operating handles 64 inwardly toward each other which results in a moving of the cams 60 out of engagement with their cam follower edges 58. This permits rotation of the lever arms in a direction such that their inner ends move the shoe plates 48 downwardly to engage and frictionally clamp the sling between such shoe plates and the floor portion 18. The shoe plate edges 52 in cooperation with their respective intersecting portions 23 produce a crimp in the strap, FIGURE 3, to obtain a positive frictional grip on the latter.

A positive connection is thus obtained between the carrier and the sling strap 10, it being clear that the heavier the load the greater will be the lever clamping force on the strap. After the load has been placed in the desired position the operator merely rotates the handles 64 outwardly to raise the shoe member 46 from its clamping position. Thereupon the ends of the strap can be pulled freely from the carrier.

There is thus provided a carrier adapted for use with a strap-type sling, and by its construction provides for easy connection and disconnection of said strap thereto and in addition is adapted to provide a positive, nonslipping association with such strap.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A carrier for a strap-type sling comprising a body member, a wall portion in said body member, a pair of lever arms, one lever arm being pivotally mounted at one end and the other lever arm being pivotally mounted at the opposite end of said body member, said arms being adapted at one of their ends for connection to a hoisting cable, and shoe members on the other ends of said lever arms adjacent said wall portions, said shoe members and said wall portions being arranged to receive and frictionally grip a sling therebetween upon pivotal movement of the lever arms resulting from the hanging force on the one end of said lever arms.

2. A carrier for a strap-type sling comprising a body member, a pair of wall portions in said body member adjacent the ends thereof, a pair of lever arms, one lever arm being pivotally mounted at one end and the other lever arm being pivotally mounted at the opposite end of said body member, the outer ends of said lever arms projecting beyond the ends of said body member and adapted at their outer ends for connection to a hoisting cable, shoe members pivotally mounted on the inner ends of said lever arms adjacent respective wall portions, said shoe members and said wall portions being arranged to receive and frictionally grip a sling therebetween upon pivotal movement of the lever arms resulting from the hanging force on the outer end of said lever arms, a cam follower edge on each of said lever arms, and cams pivotally mounted on said body member, each arm being engageable with a respective cam follower edge, each cam in one position thereof being retracted from its cam follower edge to permit gripping engagement of a sling between the respective shoe member and wall portion and in another postion thereof being engaged with its cam follower edge to pivot its lever selectively to raise its shoe member to a sling release position.

3. The carrier of claim 1 wherein said shoe members are pivotally mounted on their respective lever arms.

4. The carrier of claim 1 wherein said wall portion is flat in the area of engagement by said shoe members and including a pair of upwardly angled portions adjacent respective shoe members for crimping a sling in said angled portions in the gripping position of said shoe members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,351,530 8/1920 Meals 294101 2,3 60,601 10/1944 Waldrup 294-104 2,618,504 11/ 1952 Penn. 2,654,630 10/1953 Renfroe 294104 FOREIGN PATENTS 8,261 4/ 1910 Great Britain.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Examiner. 

1. A CARRIER FOR A STRAP-TYPE SLING COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER, A WALL PORTION IN SAID BODY MEMBER, A PAIR OF LEVER ARMS, ONE LEVER ARM BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT ONE END AND THE OTHER LEVER ARM BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID ARMS BEING ADAPTED AT ONE OF THEIR ENDS FOR CONNECTION TO A HOISTING CABLE, AND SHOE MEMBERS ON THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID LEVER ARMS ADJACENT SAID WALL PORTIONS, SAID SHOE MEMBERS AND SAID WALL PORTIONS BEING ARRANGED TO RECEIVE AND FRICTIONALLY GRIP A SLING THEREBETWEEN UPON PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE LEVER ARMS RESULTING FROM THE HANGING FORCE ON THE ONE END OF SAID LEVER ARMS. 